DS Lite or Nano?

[bowens]

I have been wanting a Nano for quite a while. I have a Shuffle but was thinking about getting a Nano with the Nike+ kit. But now I have played a DS Lite a couple times and I'm really thinking about getting this instead. My birthday is coming up in a few days so I know I'll be getting some money, probably a couple hundred bucks. If I bought a Nano it would be the $250, so I would have to put in some of my own money. If I bought a DS Lite, I could afford the system and a few games. What do you guys think?

Also, what does the DS come with? Any accessories? I would probably want a car adapter for long trips. How long does the battery last? What games do you guys think I should get. I have already decided if I do get one, I will definitely get Big Brain Academy and True Swing Golf. I also saw that Madden 07 is available. Does anyone know if NCAA Football 07 will be available. I didn't see it listed on the website. Thanks.

Edit: One more question. Brain Age or Big Brain Academy?

[Dagless]

I'd go for the DS Lite. but I already have an iPod Mini so don't really need a new iPod.

The battery life lasts between 8-15 hours (from experience) though it wildly varies between screen brightness, volume and wifi.

[Kardashian]

Get a Nano.

BUT GET IT FROM APPLES REFURBISHED STORE ONLINE! THE US IS EVEN CHEAPER THAN THE UK, AND A 4GB NANO IS £113 HERE - THATS ALMOST £70/£80 OFF THE RRP!

[Mr. Mister]

I like my 4GB white nano very much but I'm selling it after a week or two of owning it (it's in nearly perfect condition) because I'm going to need the money for Mac Pro RAM.

I'm selling for $200, PM me if you want it.

[tedrjr03]

just to let you know the madden and ncaa graphics probaly wont be to good

[Kardashian]

US Apple store are selling them brand new, with a years warranty, and free shipping for $169.

Go there, for sure!

Link to Apple Store page.. (http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/0.RSLID?mco=B719E37D&nclm=Certified)

[GFLPraxis]

Depends how much music you listen to. In my case, I don't listen to enough music to justify the purchase of an iPod- I've got a 5-hour MP3 CD in my car with all my music, namely, the soundtracks of Phantom of the Opera, Zelda: The Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time, Metroid Prime, Super Smash Bros Melee, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, and some assorted MegaMan X and Super Mario Bros tracks.

[seenew]

I think in the long run you might have more fun with a Lite. But it depends on how much fun you have with video games. Maybe put in some more of your money and get a refurb Nanon and a used Lite?

[Moshiiii]

DS Lite! If you want to get your hands dirty you can do some research and find out how to turn your DS Lite into a mp3 player.

[weg]

If I bought a DS Lite, I could afford the system and a few games. What do you guys think?

Also, what does the DS come with? Any accessories? I would probably want a car adapter for long trips. How long does the battery last? What games do you guys think I should get. I have already decided if I do get one, I will definitely get Big Brain Academy and True Swing Golf. I also saw that Madden 07 is available. Does anyone know if NCAA Football 07 will be available. I didn't see it listed on the website. Thanks.

Edit: One more question. Brain Age or Big Brain Academy?

Seems to me that you've made up your mind already, anyway, so get that DS lite ;-) I recently bought one, too, and I don't regret it. So far I have NSMB and Mario Kart. If you have WLAN access you should definitely get one of the games that support online gaming (have a look at www.nintendowifi.com).

The Nintendo DS lite basically comes without any accessory other than the charger and a second stylus. One accessory you might want to buy on the long run is a Supercard lite or a M3 Perfect Lite (allows you to run homebrew stuff).

[bowens]

So what do you guys think about my last question?

Brain Age or Big Brain Academy?

I haven't played Brain Age but I thought BBA was pretty good.

[deggs37]

Brain Age is much much better than Big Brain Academy, I have both of them and I haven't touched BBA since the day I got it.

[paddy]

I'd almost say the Nano, I have both DS Lite and Nano and I must say you get a lot more use out of an iPod (well I do anyway) seeing as it doesn't require your undivided attention and if you plan on running the iPod is a must!

[Tommyg117]

DS Lite. It is such a worthy investment that will only get better with new games, your nano will be outdated every 3 months when they come out with new ones:)

[paddy]

DS Lite. It is such a worthy investment that will only get better with new games, your nano will be outdated every 3 months when they come out with new ones:)

Hasn't been a Nano update for almost a year now.

Depends really bowens, if u get the subway places get a DS, if u walk places, cycle or drive an iPods the best for that. Unless of course you plan on using them for home, in which case I'd recommend the DS.

[HiRez]

One more question. Brain Age or Big Brain Academy?When I bought mine, Toys 'R' Us was running a promotion where for an extra $20 I got both Brain Age and Big Brain Academy, plus a carrying case. That was a great deal because I like both of these games. Not sure if they are still doing that but it wasn't that long ago.

[seenew]

Hasn't been a Nano update for almost a year now.


Exactly why there will be an update soon. October is iPod season.

[Dagless]

Am I the only person who goes jogging without an iPod? I can't stand music when I'm running, detracts from the experience I find. worrying about earphones falling out, or cables bashing around and of course the thin music player + doing something sporty just doesn't seem like a safe combination.

Mind you I do fell running so it's a little more dangerous/exciting than running around a city in Nike shoes :p

[ddrueckhammer]

My vote is for DS Lite. Nanos are delicate.

To turn your DS into an mp3/mpeg4 player get the:

Play-Yan Micro (http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-hs-49-en-70-xfo.html)

and

One of Ninetendo's supported 2Gb flash cards (http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/play_yan_micro/subwin2/index.html) (Hint: The ones with circles next to them work)

or if you want to do homebrew get an

M3 adaptor (http://www.m3adapter.com/main.htm)

The M3 adaptor uses a flashcard to hold its files and homebrew is done through emulation software such as moonshell.

The Play-Yan is an official Nintendo product and supposedly doesn't have much Japanese on the menus at all. I found that 2 Gb flash card that is supported for like $70 a few months ago on Amazon so altogether it would cost $140 or so to make a DS into a music/movie player. So it is more expensive for less capacity than an iPod but you get the ability to playback movies saved on a flashcard. I'm not sure but I think if you could get them compressed right you could get at least a few movies on that size of card. Also, you should know that the play-yan has better quality playback than an M3. Oh, and finally you will need an flash card reader to get the files onto the cards. They are like $10.

[zap2]

...hard question. My DS lite, is my favorite game system i have EVER OWNED, but the iPod is an amazing little music player. My try a 512mb Shuffle and a DS lite. If thats not on the cards, i'd say go DS lite, as the Nano is likly getting upgraded soon anyway, so save up for 2g Nano

[weg]

or if you want to do homebrew get an

M3 adaptor (http://www.m3adapter.com/main.htm)

The M3 adaptor uses a flashcard to hold its files and homebrew is done through emulation software such as moonshell.


Btw., the M3 lite (http://www.divineo.cn/cgi-bin/div-cn/ds-m3lmsd.html) adapter will be released soon, so it's probably a good idea to wait another 2 weeks before buying an M3 adapter.

[GFLPraxis]

Although that uses mini-SD's, doesn't it?

Anyway, the M3 group has always been VERY bad about keeping release dates, so we'll see. The original M3 didn't come out for like three months after they said it would. The date just came and went and it was never available.

[paddy]

Exactly why there will be an update soon. October is iPod season.

Sorry forgot about that, I thought he meant every 3 months from when he buys an iPod it'd be upgraded.

Anyone ever used/own one of those 2GB flash cards for music? I'd be tempted to buy one, the old minis on the blink.

[Dagless]

Maybe I'm spoilt, but I can't use anything else as a music player since getting my iPod. no DS/M3 adapter, no PSP, no phone. though with the GB Micro's small size it could be a very small and convenient MP3 player. though the software is severely lacking.

[bowens]

...hard question. My DS lite, is my favorite game system i have EVER OWNED, but the iPod is an amazing little music player. My try a 512mb Shuffle and a DS lite. If thats not on the cards, i'd say go DS lite, as the Nano is likly getting upgraded soon anyway, so save up for 2g Nano

Read my first post. I have a 1 gb shuffle. I was thinking of upgrading to a Nano or buying a DS Lite.

[zap2]

Read my first post. I have a 1 gb shuffle. I was thinking of upgrading to a Nano or buying a DS Lite.


Opps...sorry i read it fast and i thought you said your were plan to buuy a 1G shuffle, then went up to a Nano.

Ok then with out a doubt get a DS lite

[Yvan256]

My vote is for DS Lite. Nanos are delicate.

To turn your DS into an mp3/mpeg4 player get the:

Play-Yan Micro (http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-hs-49-en-70-xfo.html)

The Play-Yan is an official Nintendo product and supposedly doesn't have much Japanese on the menus at all.[...] I'm not sure but I think if you could get them compressed right you could get at least a few movies on that size of card. [...]

I have a Gameboy micro, a Nintendo DS Lite and a Play-Yan micro. You can simply drag'n drop mp3 and mp4 (MPEG-4/AAC) files onto the SD card. The only thing japanese is the title/warning screen, after that it's all logos and pictures. I'm still wondering why Nintendo hasn't released this world-wide.

If you have Quicktime Pro it's really easy to convert video files to the Play-Yan format (MPEG-4 at 240x176 though only 240x160 is displayed) - allows you to get the most bitrate per pixel if you resize them.

You can get away with 4 hours of video for a 1GB card, given the small screen size of the GBA/DS.

[nswint]

DS Lite! If you want to get your hands dirty you can do some research and find out how to turn your DS Lite into a mp3 player.

Supercard & Superkey saves a little research time.

[ddrueckhammer]

I have a Gameboy micro, a Nintendo DS Lite and a Play-Yan micro. You can simply drag'n drop mp3 and mp4 (MPEG-4/AAC) files onto the SD card. The only thing japanese is the title/warning screen, after that it's all logos and pictures. I'm still wondering why Nintendo hasn't released this world-wide.

If you have Quicktime Pro it's really easy to convert video files to the Play-Yan format (MPEG-4 at 240x176 though only 240x160 is displayed) - allows you to get the most bitrate per pixel if you resize them.

You can get away with 4 hours of video for a 1GB card, given the small screen size of the GBA/DS.

Cool! Have you tried this program yet?

iPlay-Yan (http://www.kaisakura.com/iplayan.php)

It looks kinda nice to be able to browse your iTunes, iPhoto and video files on it instead of finding them on your hard drive.

I'm waiting to see what the new iPods will be like and if Nintendo will release either a US version or a DS version of the Play-Yan before I buy. I would get an M3 but I think that I am more interested in having better mp3/mpeg4 playback than doing the homebrew thing.

The one critical thing I can say about Nintendo of America is that they should be releasing all of these accessories for the DS and have them for sale at the store right next to it. Where is the DS Lite rumble pak? Where is the Play-Yan? Where is the US version of the DS Browser? All of the cases in the stores pretty much suck unless you order online. Why did I have to order a screen guard on the internet to get one that was non-adhesive? The only accessory that I consistently see next to the DS's at the store are the Wifi USB Connectors. There are many people who want a stripped down gaming system but others like me will pay extra for the accessories rather than getting a PSP because I like the games on the DS better.

To the original poster, definately wait until after Paris for an iPod if that is what you are going to get and get a flash based one. IMO they are more durable since they lack moving parts. I was really sad after my 4G iPod's hard drive died after only 16 months. Now only flash media players for me. I know you said you were looking at a nano but when you get into the store those bigger ones seem to tug at you...at least they do me...

[bowens]

Well I decided to get a DS Lite. I figured my Shuffle was good enough to get me through for a while longer. Last night I picked up the Lite, New Super Mario Bros., Brain Age, and Madden NFL '07. I haven't had a chance to try Madden yet but the other two are great. My wife thought it was a mistake for me to get this, so I told her that if she didn't like it, I would take it back. Well, she ended up playing Brain age for over an hour last night, so I think I'll be okay. Thanks for all the advice here.

Edit: The only problem I've had is with Brain Age. It doesn't like the word blue on speech recognition. I wish it had some sort of training feature so it could learn how each player speaks. Anyway, I think I've figured out how the game wants me to say blue, so I should be alright.

[ddrueckhammer]

Edit: The only problem I've had is with Brain Age. It doesn't like the word blue on speech recognition. I wish it had some sort of training feature so it could learn how each player speaks. Anyway, I think I've figured out how the game wants me to say blue, so I should be alright.

I had this problem too..Try emphasizing the "oo" part of blue or say another simialar word like glue.

[bowens]

I had this problem too..Try emphasizing the "oo" part of blue or say another simialar word like glue.
Yeah, I've figured out how the game wants me to say 'blue' and haven't had any problems with it. My wife still hasn't quite figured out exactly how to say it, so she still has a little bit of a problem but not much. The system is awesome though. I have been playing a lot of Mario, and for a handheld game, Madden 07 is pretty good. It's got a lot of features that the console version does like season, franchise, tournament and quite a few more modes. If you like football, I would recommend this one. I would prefer NCAA 07 but since it isn't available Madden will do just fine.

[Dagless]

I say it as "bel-ooo-ew", redneck style. works like a charm.

[chairguru22]

id go with DS lite, a new nano is coming out in the near future right?

[ddrueckhammer]

I say it as "bel-ooo-ew", redneck style. works like a charm.

Haha that is funny! I am originally from Texas and it doesn't work when I use my normal accent. I try to use a more New York accent "bloo" when I play.

[bowens]

I say it as "bel-ooo-ew", redneck style. works like a charm.

Hey, whatch out! I am a redneck. Nah, not really, but I do live in the south. There are a bunch around here.

[weg]

Although that uses mini-SD's, doesn't it?


Does that have any disadvantages, other than the price? I've read that certain homebrew programs don't run very well with (mini-)SD cards, but I couldn't find more details on that on the web.

What would be the advantage of getting the CF version? (I'm considering to buy either a M3 solution or a Supercard, soon. With respect to the latter I've read that it doesn't fit in the DS lite very well - it's hard to remove - so I favor the M3, currently)